Train-pipe coupling.



N0 MODEL.

PATENTBD JUNE 7, 1904. G. L. BONHAM.

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED PEB. ze, 1904.

4 SHIRTS-SHEET 1.

No. 762,127. PATBNTED JUNE 7, 1904. G. L. BONHAM.

TRAIN PIPE GOUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1904.

N0 ,MODEL 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

11 l t. A

r .17 --qnnn-aflf-An m# w .W Q k PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

GQL. BON-HAM. TRAIN PIPE GOUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 2e, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

NO MODEL.

WHQZSSQS No. 762,127. PTENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

` G. L. BONHAM.

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLIUATION FILED rms. ze, 1904. No MODEL..

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

l 'n www@ Wifgess gL/Z/Z .6% l I by UNITED i STATES Patented June 7,1904.

PATENT GEEICE.

TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 762,127, dated June 7,1904. Application flied February 26, 1904. Serial No. 195.466. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom, it 10Q/ay concern:

Be it known that I, GUY L. BONHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing atDorranceton, in `the county of LuzerneV and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Train-Pipe Coupling, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in train-pipe couplings, Vandparticularly to that general class of steam, air, and signal coupy lingsin which provision is made for the auxas the cars separate and cometogether during the running of the train.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring-held mountingfor a plurality of coupling members, s o that the latter may yield toaccommodate inequalities in the roadway or' when the train is travelingaround curves.

A still further object of the invention is to so arrange a -plurality.of coupling members that they will aord mutual support foreach other,and thus reduce the liability of breakage or derangement when beingcoupled together.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangementof parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and particularly pointed out in 'the appended claims, it beingunderstood that n various changes in the form, proportion, andarrangement of the parts may be, made without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a train-pipeand hose coupler Iconstructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of one of the carriers for thecoupling-levers drawn to a somewhat larger scale. Fig. 3 is a plan viewof the same. Fig. A: is a transverse sectional elevation of a portionofthe device on the line 4 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a plan view, partlyinsection, illustrating a slight modification of the invention. Fig. 6 isa detail view showing one of the connections betweeno the train-pipecarrier and one of the car-couplers. Fig. 7isa longitudinal sectionalelevation illustrating a slightly-modified construction in which thecoupler-carrying device is independent of the car-couplings. Fig. 8 is asectional plan view of the same. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view ofa portion of the structure shown in Fig. 7. Fig. l0 is atransversesectional elevation of the carrier used in the construction shown inFig. 9. Figs. ll and l2 are detail views of coupler-carriers of modiedconstruction.

Similar characters of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The present invention relates more particularly to automaticpipe-couplings of that class illustrated in Letters Patent No. 701.833,granted to me on the 10th day of J une, 1902, wherein each of the carsis provided with a train-pipe divided into two branches that terminate,respectively, in male and female coupling members disposed one on eachside of the center line of the car and so arranged as to automaticallyengage mating members carried by adjacent cars as the train is made up.Some difhculty has been experienced in providing for the support and theadjustment of the coupling device to accommodate the frequentirregularities in car construction or in the different sizes of the carsand the distance which the coupling members' are arranged from thetracks, as well as to provide for the desirable lateral play that isnecessary when the cars are traveling around curves.

In carrying' out the present invention pro- IOO vision is made for themounting' of one or more sets of couplings at the end of the car in sucha manner as to permit the necessary freedom of movement of thecouplings, and the supports are arranged in accordance with thecharacter of the car. For passenger service each support carries atrain-pipe, a steampipe, and a signal-pipe, While for freight serviceonly the single or train pipe is required or in some cases a train andsignal pipe.

In the drawings, 1 indicates pendent brackets arranged at the end ofeach car and provided with vertical slots 2 for the reception of a plate3, Which may move both laterally and vertically, and in order to permitthe plate to move without friction it may be mounted on ball or rollerbearings, apair of elongated rollers 4t being shown in thepresentinstancc; but it is to be understood that these are merelytypical of antifriction-supports which maybe of any desired character.

rIhe brackets 1 are of the character best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 andwhich have a top plate 6, that is provided with a slot 7, adapted to aWebbed guide 8, that is secured by a bolt 9 to the carry-iron a;- of thecar, the carryiron serving as a support for the car-coupler y. From thefront of the bracket projects an arm 10, that is secured by a bolt 11 tothe under side of the car-coupler, so that the bracket as a Whole isfree to move vertically with the car platform and coupling and at thesame time is free to move back and forth longitudinally of the car asthe cars separate and come together during the ordinary travel of thetrain, the rear portions of the brackets being guided by the slots 7 andwebbed guides 8. At the rear face of each plate is a bracket 12, that isconnected by helical tension-springs 13 to the top and side pieces ofthebracket in order to maintain the plate in a central position, butpermitting yielding movement both vertically and laterally of the car.

Each of `the platesis provided with suitable socket members 15, arrangedin transverse series, three of such series being shown in the presentinstance in order to provide for the support of the train-pipe,signal-pipe, and steam-pipe couplings, although the number maybe'increascd or diminished, a single series of sockets being all that isnecessary for freight-cars where the steam and whistle pipes are notusually employed. The plates are provided with openings 16 for thepassage of pipes 17, which are coupled to transverse-extending pipes 18,that are seated in the sockets 15 and are held in place by U-shapedclamping-bolts 19, that extend through suitable openings in the plateand are provided with threaded ends for the reception of clampingnuts20. The pipe 17, which may represent the usual train-pipe of anair-brake system or the signal or steam pipe, is formed of any suitablematerial and is connected by metallic couplings or by flexibleconnections 23 to the stationary pipe carried by the car, the flexibleconnections being deemed preferable in order that the stationary pipesshall not interfere With the movement of the plates.

The pipes 18 are connected to coupling members 22 and 23, respectively,these being, preferably, of the character illustrated in thehereinbefore-mentioned Letters Patent, an instance of the generalconstruction being shown in Fig. 9. When a number of couplers arecarried by each car, the cone or funnel shape ends 25 of the femalemembers are preferably connected together in order to mutually separateeach other; but this is not essential for the proper operation of thecoup- 1ers. Each of the female members is provided With a suitable valve26, which is opened on the entrance of the male member 22. The malemembers 22 are preferably braced by straps 27, bolted together at pointsbetween said members, the straps being preferably disposed at pointsnear the rear ends of such members in order not to interfere with thefemale members 23. Each of the pipes connected to the male couplermembers is provided \vith a valve 29, by which the How of air or otherfluid may be cut off.

In many cases cars equipped With coupling devices of the characterdescribed will be coupled to cars equipped in the usual manner with theordinary hose-couplings, and to provide for this an auxiliary connectionis made at 30 in alinement with the main pipe. In this connection isplaced the usual angle-cock 31. The hose 32 is provided with a standardcoupler of any ordinary type, so that in coupling to an ordinary car theair may be shut off by means of the valve 29 and after the hose 32 iscoupled the angle-cock may be turned in order that the flow of air orother fluid may continue.

It Will be observed that the mounting of the plates 3 is such as topermit extensive play in both lateral and vertical planes, so that carshaving coupling members arranged at different levels may automaticallyengage each other and the flexibility necessary for the turning of shortcurves obtained Without unnecessary expense in construction.

It will be observed that the coupling devices are secured to and movedwith the main car-couplings and are arranged in such position as not tomaterially interfere with the work of the brakemen in swinging theelements of the car-coupler, and the apparatus as a whole takes up but avery little room and may be applied at comparatively small cost t0 carsof any character,

In some cases the valves of the female members may be omitted and eachof said female members or the pipe to which it is coupled provided Withan auxiliary angle-cock 35, by which the flow of air or other Huid maybe controlled.

The construction of the plates may be modi- IOO IOS

IIO

IIS

Jfied in a number of Ways, Fig. l1 illustrating one r'orm of plateprovided with sockets for the reception of the transverse pipes that areconnected to the coupling members, While in Fig. 12 is shown a somewhatsimilar construction by which the sockets are formed by stamping orvotherwise bending the plate to forni the Whole out of a single sheet ofmetal. In Fig. 10 is illustrated a further modification in which thesocket members are formed by auxiliary bars 37, held in position by thepipesecuring bolt.

In some instances it will not be necessary to secure theplate-supporting brackets to the car-couplings, and a construction ofthis character is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. In this case is shownthe arrangement of the parts the same as that previously described; butthe upper portions of the brackets are shown as being rigidly secured tothe car-frame.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed isl. Thecombination with a car-coupler, of a carry-iron, a pipe-coupler, and apipe-coupler-supporting device connected to both the car-coupler and thecarry-iron.

2. The combination with a car-coupler, and carry-iron, of a bracketlhaving a iixed connection with the coupler andv a slidable connectionwith the carry-iron, a vertically and laterally movable plate supportedby the coupler, and a pipe carried by said plate.

3. The combination with an automatic pipecoupler, of a perforated platethrough Which the pipe to be coupled is passed, and antifrictionsupporting devices for said plate.

' 4. The combination With an automatic coupler, of a perforatedsupporting-plate to which the coupling is secured, antifriction-bearingsfor said plate, and a plurality of springs forining a yieldable supportfor the plate.

5. In combination, a car having a plurality of pendent slotted brackets,a plate guided transversely in said slot, slotted bars secured to theouter face of the plate, coupling-pipes adapted to said slotted bars,and yieldable supports for the plate.

6. The combination With a car, of a plurality of pendent-slottedbrackets, a plate guided transversely in said. brackets, a plurality ofslotted bars carried by the plate, coupling members havinglaterally-extending portions adapted to the slotted bars,antifriction-bearings for the plate, a bracket extending from the rearface of said plate, and a plurality of springs for holding the plate inposition.

7. In combination, a car having a pair of pendent slotted brackets, aplate guided in said brackets,-vertically-disposed rollers forming abacking for the plate, transversely-disposed slotted bars arranged onthe front of the plate, male and female coupling members havingtransverse portions arranged in said slotted bars, an auxiliaryhose-coupling connected to the coupler, and a plurality of springsatfordinga yieldable support for said p ate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing asl my own I have hereto aixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

' GUY L. BONHAM. Witnesses:

D. O. GoUGHLrN, H. E. BONHAM.

